This invention relates to an applicator with a sanitary tampon and more particularly to such an applicator used to insert this tampon into a vaginal a canal of the user.
Japanese Patent Application Disclosure No. 1980-155647 describes an applicator for a sanitary tampon comprising an outer cylindrical tube and an inner plunger axially movable within the outer cylindrical tube for ejecting a sanitary tampon out of its front end opening into the vaginal canal. The outer cylindrical tube has a length substantially corresponding to a length of the tampon cased by the applicator plus a length appropriate to hold the applicator with the user""s finger tips (i.e., a length of a grip region).
This applicator is used in a manner such that, after the outer cylindrical tube has been inserted into the vaginal canal, the tampon cased within the outer cylindrical tube is axially pushed by the inner plunger into the innermost region of the vaginal canal. The outer cylindrical tube generally has a full length of 70xcx9c80 mm of which a partial length of 10xcx9c20 mm is defined by the grip region, i.e., a region of the outer cylindrical tube to be actually inserted into the vaginal canal has a length of 50xcx9c70 mm. A length of the tampon cased within this region is in a range of 45xcx9c55 mm. It should be noted here that there is a sphincteral muscle around the vaginal opening and the tampon may continue to press the sphincteral muscle and give the user a sense of incompatibility unless the tampon was pushed forward into the innermost region of the vaginal canal. To avoid such a sense of incompatibility, it is desired that the tampon should be pushed forward far from the sphincteral muscle, more specifically, into the innermost region of the vaginal canal spaced from the vaginal opening by 40xcx9c50 mm or more. With the known applicator, its length to be actually inserted into the vaginal canal corresponds to the full length of the outer cylindrical tube minus the length of the grip region, i.e., 70xcx9c80 mmxe2x88x9210xcx9c20 mm=50xcx9c70 mm. Accordingly, it is concerned that the tampon might be stayed in a region spaced from the vaginal opening at most by 40xcx9c50 mm and give the user a sense of incompatibility unless most of the length of the insertion region is pushed into the vaginal canal. Even if once the outer cylindrical tube has been pushed into the innermost region of the vaginal canal, a vaginal pressure functions to obstruct the tampon be held in the innermost region and to push the tampon back. As a result, the tampon might be at least partially stayed in a region spaced from the vaginal opening by 40xcx9c50 mm and give the user a sense of incompatibility. Thus, use of the tampon might result in failure.
It is an object of this invention to provide a sanitary tampon combined with an applicator improved to avoid a failure in use of the tampon often encountered by the prior art.
According to this invention, there is provided an applicator with a sanitary tampon, the applicator comprising an outer cylindrical tube having openings at front and rear ends thereof and an inner plunger axially movable within the outer cylindrical tube and the tampon cased within a region of the outer cylindrical tube adjacent the front end thereof and adapted to be ejected by the inner plunger out of the opening of the front end, wherein the outer cylindrical tube has a length dimensioned to be longer than a length of the tampon by 50xcx9c80 mm.
According to one preferred embodiment of this invention, said tampon has a length of 20xcx9c60 mm.